2nd Edition of ILT20 Announced in 2024:
The International League T20 (ILT20), based in the United Arab Emirates, has announced that its second season will begin on January 13, 2024, only one week after the Gulf Giants were crowned champions of the inaugural ILT20 season in Dubai.
The league has already started working on Season 2, which will follow the same format as the previous season with 34 matches and four playoffs leading up to the final. However, the tournament schedule has not yet been revealed.
The ILT20’s announcement of its start date is unusual in the T20 cricket world, where fixture lists are usually announced closer to the start of the league. However, this also means that the ILT20 is likely to clash with other T20 leagues, such as the SA20, the Big Bash League, and the Bangladesh Premier League.
The ILT20 is one of two new men’s franchise leagues that were added to the cricket calendar this year, along with the SA20. Due to team owners crossing over between different leagues, there has been intense competition for players and calendar space. For example, Moeen Ali, an English all-rounder, entered into agreements with both the ILT20 and SA20 leagues this season.
Both leagues were played simultaneously this year, with only a few days between their start dates. It is likely that a similar schedule clash will occur in the upcoming season, as the SA20’s dates have not been announced yet. Discussions have taken place to avoid schedule clashes, including the possibility of starting the ILT20 earlier in the season.
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Players are increasingly willing to participate in multiple leagues, even if it means juggling international duties and overlapping schedules. For instance, Moeen Ali played for Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20 while also representing England in South Africa before playing a few games in the BPL in Bangladesh. The BBL also had significant overlap with these leagues, while the Pakistan Super League began immediately after the ILT20.
As T20 leagues’ popularity continues to grow, players and leagues will have to navigate the increasingly crowded cricket calendar. The ILT20’s early announcement of Season 2’s start date is just the start of what promises to be another thrilling season of cricket in the UAE.
